Nigerian High Court dismisses human rights lawsuit of fugitive Binance executive: no one appears in court

According to the Nigerian financial media Nairametrics, the local High Court on Thursday dismissed a fundamental rights suit brought by Binance executive Nadeem Anjarwalla against the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), citing lack of legal representation from both parties.

Nigerian Court Dismisses Lawsuit by Fugitive Binance Executive

The Abuja Federal High Court yesterday ruled to dismiss the human rights lawsuit filed by Anjarwalla against the NSA and EFCC, citing the absence of legal representation from both parties during the proceedings.

Justice Inyang Ekwo stated that Anjarwalla's lawyer, Tonye Krukrubo, had initially claimed to substitute legal representation, but no one appeared in court:

It appears that this did not happen, so due to the lack of proper prosecution, I order the dismissal of this case.

In March of this year, the Binance Nigeria head invoked the 1999 Nigerian Constitution before fleeing the country, alleging that the Nigerian government violated his fundamental rights by previously detaining him and confiscating his passport:

The defendants NSA and EFCC's continued detention of the applicant Anjarwalla has caused significant difficulties and emotional distress to the applicant, his wife, children, and other family members.

Currently, Anjarwalla's whereabouts have been traced to Kenya, where an Interpol red notice has been issued against him.

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Detained Executive Contracts Malaria, Criticized for Slow Treatment

Meanwhile, another detained Binance financial crime compliance director, Tigran Gambaryan, has filed a similar lawsuit, with a hearing set for July 9.

Evidently, Gambaryan is currently bearing the enforcement pressure in Nigeria alone and fainted in court last month due to contracting malaria and severe pneumonia.

His wife, Yuki, expressed concerns that despite the court allowing him to be transferred to a hospital for treatment, the process has been slow:

Despite the court allowing him to be hospitalized for treatment, he is still confined in the prison that made him ill, which is shocking to me.

She lamented, "He has done nothing wrong, just suffered because he accepted an invitation to a meeting in Abuja."

In February of this year, Nigerian authorities accused Binance of manipulating exchange rates, tax evasion, and involvement in money laundering, seeking a billion-dollar claim and detaining two of its executives.

Nigeria Plans to Crack Down on Cryptocurrency Exchanges: Severe Currency Manipulation Leads to 28% Naira Plunge

Binance's Regulatory Turmoil

Last month, Binance was fined CAD 6 million (approximately USD 4.4 million) by the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) for failing to register as a foreign money services business (FMSB) and not reporting individual cryptocurrency transactions exceeding USD 10,000.

Earlier this month, Binance appealed the penalty, stating that it had sought to operate locally but faced stringent regulations:

We have not launched services targeted at the Canadian market, and any involvement relating to the Canadian market is an incidental outcome of Binance's global operations.

Over the past two years, Binance has faced regulatory challenges in various countries, including concerns from regulatory authorities in countries like the Philippines, India, and Nigeria, following lawsuits with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the U.S. Treasury Department last year.

Tough Road to Compliance! After Regulatory Crackdowns in India and Nigeria, Binance Faces Full Blockade in the Philippines